Tips for Preventing Mold in Your Home

Mold is one of the most frustrating things for a homeowner to find in their home as it could lead to property damage and even pose health risks.  It can grow on just about any surface including in hidden areas above ceilings and inside walls where it can cause significant damage before you even find it.  If mold growth is not removed, the spores can spread the growth to other areas of your home and the existing mold colonies can eventually cause significant structural damage.  The risk of allergic reactions and other health effects will also increase the longer one is exposed to mold.

The best defense against mold is to prevent it from appearing in the first place.  In this guide, we will cover the best tips for preventing mold growth in your home.  If you do find mold despite your best efforts to prevent it, it is usually best to call a mold remediation professional.

How Mold Growth Forms

Mold growth can appear at virtually any time in your home because there is a natural presence of mold spores in the air.  When the spores find favorable conditions which include a moisture source and a source of food, mold growth can appear within 24-48 hours.  The main indoor food source for mold is cellulose, which is an organic substance found in drywall, wood, carpeting, insulation, ceiling tiles, upholstery, and other common building materials and furnishings.  When mold takes hold on a surface, it eats away at the materials which can eventually cause serious damage.

Once mold growth appears, it is likely to spread to new areas and cause additional damage.  Mold growth needs to be contained and removed as soon as possible to limit the damage to your property.

How to Prevent Mold Growth

Moisture is the biggest trigger of mold growth which means that controlling the moisture level and removing excess water are the keys to preventing mold.

The following tips will help you prevent the appearance of mold growth in your home:

• Dry wet areas: Excess water and moisture needs to be dried and removed quickly to prevent mold. Wipe down bathroom walls and floors after a shower, clean up condensation on windows, take care of spills right away, and don’t leave wet items around the house.  If your home is affected by flooding or water damage, call a professional immediately to address the situation.
• Control the humidity level: Keep the humidity level in your home between 30 and 50 percent. Running an air conditioner or dehumidifier can help you lower the humidity level.  A moisture meter can give you an accurate reading of the humidity level in your home so you can act if the humidity level rises.
• Check ventilation: Maintaining proper ventilation within your home will help reduce the moisture level, especially in high moisture areas like the kitchen and bathroom. You can improve ventilation in your kitchen and bathroom by using exhaust fans that vent outside.  Also make sure that appliances like your dryer and stove vent outside of your home.  Running an air conditioner or dehumidifier and opening windows will help improve the ventilation as well.
• Find and fix leaks: Water leaks can result in water damage that attracts mold growth. Make sure to check your roof, walls, foundation, and plumbing system for leaks and fix them.
• Keep gutters clean: It is important to make sure your gutters are clear and in working order so that they drain the rainwater properly and direct it away from your home. If the gutters are clogged, they could overflow and cause excess water to gather on the roof or near the foundation of the house.
• Use mold resistant products: If you are having a new home built or are renovating your current home, consider installing mold resistant drywall or sheetrock and using mold inhibiting paint. Mold resistant drywall is paperless, unlike traditional drywall, and is ideal for high moisture areas such as the kitchen, bathroom, basement, or laundry room.
• Use mold killing cleaners: Using mold killing cleaning products to clean your bathroom will help prevent mold and mildew.
• Remove wet carpeting: If carpeting and rugs become wet and they cannot be dried right away, you should remove or replace them. You should also consider not using carpeting or rugs in high moisture areas like the bathroom and basement.

Call Mold Remediation Professionals

Mold growth can become a major problem if it develops in your home.  By following the above-mentioned tips, you can increase the ventilation in your home and help keep the moisture level under control which greatly reduces the risk of mold growth.

If your home still becomes affected by mold, the best move is to call a professional to provide mold remediation services.  These professionals will find all mold growth, including hidden mold, and remove it completely from your home using advanced remediation techniques.  They can also repair or replace the materials that have been damaged by the mold growth.

About Vince Sandri

Vince Sandri is a content writer and blogger with more than 12 years of experience. His expertise is in creating content related to disaster restoration, including information about preventing and reacting to natural disasters like flooding, water damage, fire and smoke damage, mold growth, storm damage and more.
Vince has been the main contributor to RestorationMasterFinder.com since 2014. Over that time, he has written numerous service pages and blogs for disaster restoration providers featured on RestorationMasterFinder.com. Vince has done extensive research and covered a wide range of topics relating to disaster restoration to help homeowners, business owners, and property managers better protect their property. He understands the problems that disasters like flooding, fire, smoke, and mold can cause as well as the best ways to respond to these issues to limit the damage.
Vince completed his Bachelor of Arts degree at Aurora University and his master’s degree at DePaul University. He has been writing SEO website pages, blogs, and press releases since 2012. Vince is also a musician and can be seen playing in the Chicago, IL area.